Cultivator-coupling.



No. 662,058. Patented Nov. 20, I900. a. T. CROBARGER.

GULTIVATOB COUPLING. (Applicationfiled Feb. 4, 1898.)

No Model.)

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GEORGE T. OROBARGER, OF NEWTON, KANSAS.

, CULTlVATOR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,058, dated November 20, 1900.

Application filed February 4:, 1898. Serial No. 669,108. [No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beitknown that I, GEORGE T. CROBARGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newton, in the county of Harvey and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cultivator-Couplings, of which the following is a correct description.

My invention relates to cultivators in which the plows are hung to the main framein gangs by means of hinges or couplings; and the objects of my' improvement are, first, to increase the efliciency in a cultivator-coupling to maintain the perpendicularity of the gangs; second, to afford a better and safer means for hanging up the gangs when not in use; third, to provide an inexpensive stop to regulate the maximum depth of the plowing, and, fourth, to afford a convenient means of attaching and adjusting the cultivator-springs. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of the invention with the gang raised slightly out of the ground. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the swivel-plate. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a bifurcated swivel-pin hinge. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a double are bar and pin forming a hinge. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing the entire range of the application of the invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several drawings.

The'dotted lines A indicate the axle-arch of an ordinary walking-cultivator, and B a cultivator-gang. The are bar 0 is rigidly secured between the beams at 00, having notches z c. It passes between the jaws of the dog g, thence between the swivel plate a and the pinf, thence between the ends of the slats d d, and is rigidly secured thereto by the bolt m. The stay-slats d 01 continue downward and are rigidly secured to the beams by the bolt 72. There is thus formed a rigid quadrant, which in effect is a part of the gang itself, revolving back and forth around the common axis 19 and swinging from side to side like a door on two hinges'or pinsfand 7c.

The swivelu is a thin steel plate, as shown in Fig. 2, having two holes which fit loosely around the swivel-pin fand of ample width up and down to inclose both the arc bar a and the pivoted end of the dog g. The pin f extends below the swivel-plate and engages one end of the lift-spring h, the other end of the spring being secured and its tension regulated by the chain engaged in the hook If. The dog g turns loosely upon the pin fand rests astride the are bar 0. Its jaws fit loosely against both sides of the are bar, and its head is so formed that the notches z z are almost completely filled when the dog drops into the notch. The dog never drops intoa notch until the arc bar is made to move slowly under it. The dog disengages easily when the gang is raised and will not again catch in any of the notches if the gang is suddenly lowered, for the dog readily slides up the rear incline of the notch; but gravitation acts too slowly to engage the dog again as the gang descends.

To prevent runaways or accidents in traveling to and from the field, the rear notch has over it a spring-lock s, which must be unlocked by the hand of the operator before the gang can bereleased.

In turning at the ends of the rows the operators attention can be given wholly to his team, as he can easily raise and hang up the gangs from any position without looking, and a slight up-and-(lown mot-ion of the handle or gang lowers the plows again into the ground.

At the front end ofthe arc-bar c, adjustably secured between the slats d d by the bolt m, is a lug or stop 0, which strikes against the pinf when the plows have reached their maximum depth.

It is apparent that the construction in Fig. 1 shows a primary or draft hinge D below and a secondary or stay hinge H approximately above it. The two hinges being so far apart it is practically impossible to twist the gangs out of a perpendicular position in the act of plowing, while every other movement of the gang is exceptionally easy and free in all of its operations. The gang at its lower hinge is shifted sidewise in the ordinary way, and its top hinge is correspondingly shifted by means of the arm 6 of the swivel-pin f, which is adjustably secured by the clutch 1;; also, the pin f, with its arm 6, may be turned over, so that the, pin will point up instead of down, and the arm 6 will be below the arc-bar.

The stay-hinge H may be constructed with a bifurcated swivel-pin, as shown in Fig. 3,

below the stay-hinge, as in Fig. 5, or there may be two stay-hinges with one draft-hinge between them, which are only variations in the application of the invention.

The arm 6 and the clutch 'u are no part of my invention, but only serve to show that the hinge-pinf may be held in its position by any convenient means; also, the draft-hinge D may revolve about any convenient bar or pin provided for that purpose.

I am aware that cultivator-couplings have been used prior to my invention which operate on the principle of hanging a door on one hinge; but I am not aware that any cultivator-coupling prior to my invention employs two independent hinges, one approximately above the other and acting upon the principle of a door hung on two hinges, nor am I aware that any such coupling embodies the construction of a holdup-dog which is operated entirely and exclusively by the movement of the handle of the gang or by the gang itself as the only operative lever.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Acultivator-coupling constructed oftwo hinges, an arc bar rigidly attached to the gang of the cultivator, and playing in an independent stay-hinge operating in conjunction with a draft-hinge substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination in a cultivator-coupling of a stay-hinge, a draft-hinge, and an arc bar as described, with the arc bar notched notched, a holdup=dog mounted on an arc bar, and a lift-spring attached to the stayhinge and to the gang as described with an adjustable stop or lug substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination in a cultivator-coupling of a stay-hinge, a draft-hinge, an arc bar notched, a holdup-dog, a lift-spring attached to a stay-hinge, and to the gang, and an adjustable stop or lug as described, with a lockspring for the rear notch of the arc bar, all substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

GEORGE T. CROBARGER.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. NIcHoLsEN, MORRIS H. CONGDON. 

